VirtueMart 
Version
2.0.20b (last update on Mar 20, 2013)
Rating
Compatibility
Reviews
399
License
GPLv2 or later
Non-Commercial
Type
Date Added
5 March 2006
- Template overwritting,
- Implementation of Joomla Plugins for: payment, shipment, coupons, calculation rules, custom product fields, ...
- Simple installation and integration of other joomla extensions.
CATEGORIES
- nested categories
- with meta tags for seo
- with description and media
PRODUCTS
- with meta tags for seo
- short and long description
- dimensions (weight, size)
- multiple media
- variants, attributes
- unlimited child products and derivated levels
- product pattern (Parent product used as pattern for child products)
- related products
- reviews and ratings
SHOPPERGROUPS
- pricing depending by shoppergroups
- price display depending by shoppergroups
- payment/shipment depending by shoppergroups
SHOPPERS
- customizable shopper input form
- input form depended on registration, checkout or shipment
- adressbook
- default Bill-to and Ship-to address
- default payment and shipment method
INVENTORY/STOCK
- stocking/inventory
- stock warning
- virtual stock (ordered but not finally bought)
PRICES
- various type of prices to display depended by shoppergroup
- prices adjusted by shopper choosen currency
- different currency format per currency
- unit price
- quantity based pricing
REAL MULTI CURRENCY
- auto updating rates
- add your own currencies for fixed currency rates
SEF/SEO
- default SEF/SEO integrated
DYNAMICAL CALCULATOR
- discounts based on time, category, shoppergroup, country, and state
- tax based on time, category, shoppergroup, country, and state
- discounts, tax per product and/or order
- discounts, tax have their own currencies (for duties)
PAYMENT
- based on plugins: Paypal, Authorize.net, PayZen, Systempay, Moneybookers, Klarna, Heidelpay
- minimal amount / maximal amount to use a payment
- transaction fees
- by countries
- by shopper groups
SHIPMENT
- based on plugins
- by shopper groups
- by countries
CHECKOUT
- guest checkout; completly anonymous checkout
- option to register at begin of checkout
- cart is an object, competly overridable by template
- cart is stored in the session
- multi-page checkout
- one page checkout (not by default)
- SSL
ORDERS
- payment/shipment workflow
- history
- modifiable
- order tracking for anonymous users
PRODUCTS DISPLAY
- latest
- topten (most sold)
- newest
- featured
- sortable
- searchable
MULTILINGUAL
- native with joomla 1.7
- with extra joomla components (joomfish) for joomla 1.5
MARKETING PROMOTION AND TOOLS
- coupon handling
- recommend a product to friend link
- mail to shoppers who bought the product
OTHER
- hidden debugging tool
The 2.0.10+ is a security release, everyone using 2.0.8 or lower must update as soon as possible.
Removing record for default currency causes irreversible database errors.
No image re-sizing feature...really?
Custom fields (lists) are not based on taxonomy. Tedious solution for creating list selections for product details.
Custom fields give little tooltip or any explanation. DB admins will understand it however...
"Reset all tables and install sample data" function throws up an error and directs you to enable a setting in config, which is nowhere to be found.
No AJAX in back end form validation. If you save with a required field missing, it throws an error and your data is lost.
In conclusion - I must say the features of Virtuemart seem promising, but the clunkyness and annoyances seem to be accumulating version to version.
No image re-sizing feature...really?
Custom fields (lists) are not based on taxonomy. Tedious solution for creating list selections for product details.
Custom fields give little tooltip or any explanation. DB admins will understand it however...
"Reset all tables and install sample data" function throws up an error and directs you to enable a setting in config, which is nowhere to be found.
No AJAX in back end form validation. If you save with a required field missing, it throws an error and your data is lost.
In conclusion - I must say the features of Virtuemart seem promising, but the clunkyness and annoyances seem to be accumulating version to version.
Virtuemart does definitely have good aspects to it - I didn't find it TOO hard to set up a basic shop.
However, it is in my opinion quite poorly thought out in some ways. One of the most annoying things is that you can't completely remove shipping from your shop. There are ways around it, such as charging 0 for shipping etc. but there remains an warning saying 'no shipping method has been selected'. Also, shipping related fields still apear on the cart page. There may be a way of removing these by modifying the code but to be honest it should be possible to just switch shipping off in the back-end as there are SO MANY types of businesses that don't require shipping - web designers, construction company, consultancy firms, etc.
Also, it's really quite frustrating to customise the look and feel of the shop without resorting to messing with the code. The layout is irritatingly inflexible and it is more hassle than it's worth.
I've given up on VM - it's taking me so long to try and figure out how to get the darned thing to work for the needs of my business that valuable time is passing me by. I'm going to give Hika a try.
However, it is in my opinion quite poorly thought out in some ways. One of the most annoying things is that you can't completely remove shipping from your shop. There are ways around it, such as charging 0 for shipping etc. but there remains an warning saying 'no shipping method has been selected'. Also, shipping related fields still apear on the cart page. There may be a way of removing these by modifying the code but to be honest it should be possible to just switch shipping off in the back-end as there are SO MANY types of businesses that don't require shipping - web designers, construction company, consultancy firms, etc.
Also, it's really quite frustrating to customise the look and feel of the shop without resorting to messing with the code. The layout is irritatingly inflexible and it is more hassle than it's worth.
I've given up on VM - it's taking me so long to try and figure out how to get the darned thing to work for the needs of my business that valuable time is passing me by. I'm going to give Hika a try.
In my opinion it seems VM2 was a little premature and rushed but like the VM1 shows a lot of promise!
There is very little documentation or support. Even searching the VM forum for answers I'm finding the same bugs others have found that have gone unanswered for several months now.
Nothing works without some tweaking and I realize this is the nature of the beast sometimes working with Joomla...VM1 did not have these issues.
I'm disappointed to say the least and wish I would of chosen another e-commerce option for my client.
Hopefully things improve as new versions are being cranked out and someone really catches up on the much needed documentation.
Also if you do choose VM2, back up your database before every upgrade! Save yourself a lot of late nights!
There is very little documentation or support. Even searching the VM forum for answers I'm finding the same bugs others have found that have gone unanswered for several months now.
Nothing works without some tweaking and I realize this is the nature of the beast sometimes working with Joomla...VM1 did not have these issues.
I'm disappointed to say the least and wish I would of chosen another e-commerce option for my client.
Hopefully things improve as new versions are being cranked out and someone really catches up on the much needed documentation.
Also if you do choose VM2, back up your database before every upgrade! Save yourself a lot of late nights!
It took me a few month on the one hand to understand the differences and to see the progress between VM1 and VM2 and on the other hand to wait patiently for solutions of a lot of not yet correctly working features and bugs in the beginning. Finally I can say,that it is a very good extension which makes a lot of pleasure. There are so many new features which make eCommerce life in Joomla much more easier than it was with VM1 in Joomla 1.5.
Virtuemart 2 is my first choice and I can recommend it to everybody who is looking for a well working shop system in Joomla 2.5.
Virtuemart 2 is my first choice and I can recommend it to everybody who is looking for a well working shop system in Joomla 2.5.
I have had been running joomla for a couple of years now. But i tried Virtuemart (the whole concept of joomla integrated e-shop) for the first time. I had earlier relied on custom ecommerce softwares. I was a little apprehensive when i saw the negative comments here and the hue-n-cry being made about the 2.0 Version.
But I can assure you honestly, this is the best product i have used. And more so the extensive forum support these guys have.I had noticed a few glitches on one of the versions but that was almost immediately solved in the new release.
The software development cycle is supposed to be the one about bug tracking. And the same goes for Virtuemart's development. They have an amazing product (a free one)and they endeavor to make it better. I support and recognize their efforts, we need to be patient at times.
I am reiterating what i have always believed, VM, Akeeba, Phoca are some of the best in the JED.
Editor's Pick? Deservedly, so. All the best to the development team.
But I can assure you honestly, this is the best product i have used. And more so the extensive forum support these guys have.I had noticed a few glitches on one of the versions but that was almost immediately solved in the new release.
The software development cycle is supposed to be the one about bug tracking. And the same goes for Virtuemart's development. They have an amazing product (a free one)and they endeavor to make it better. I support and recognize their efforts, we need to be patient at times.
I am reiterating what i have always believed, VM, Akeeba, Phoca are some of the best in the JED.
Editor's Pick? Deservedly, so. All the best to the development team.
I have already run two professional shops with the latest Virtuemart 2.08 and am very satisfied. Of course it takes a while to know what to do - absolutely normal. You must also not forget that the new version has significant improvements - it is no longer comparable with the first version. And last but not least, the extension is free! The forum is great and you get help quickly - but you should be familiar with some PHP and HTML, so that there is no beginner questions. It's annoying the developers understandably - because noobs should be looking for a service.
I also work with OSCommerce / XT and can confirm that Virtuemart does a much fresher feel and is much more user friendly.
I also work with OSCommerce / XT and can confirm that Virtuemart does a much fresher feel and is much more user friendly.
* This is only the second eCommerce solution I've dealt with so my opinion only goes so far. I can see what a lot of people are complaining about, there are issues that seem to be neglected however for the price - I don't feel there's a lot of room to complain. Give it a try, best solution out of 2 I've tried so far.
I use on my cart virtemart 2.0.8 in joomla 2.5.6. O first found the install a bit clunky however I then gave it another crack and it installed OK. Overall I was impressed with the payment shipment workflow compared to other process driven. Will need to test it out a bit further as loading extra extensions seams to be a bit buggy. I like having the option of one page or multi page check out good to have choice.
This is a simple product to use. The only problem I had off the bat was that Virtuemart doesn't appear in components menu. However, just in case, the fix is that i had xmap installed and had to Log in to the back end, components menu, Xmap, Extensions tab: Xmap - Virtuemart Plugin
Virtuemart is easier to use now than ever - VM2 workflow and gui are even more intuitive.
Templating is improved by taking advantage of Joomla 2.5's override methods.
I always end up paying less for any add-ons I need to go with it than with other carts.
On top of all that, I get great support from the development team.
Templating is improved by taking advantage of Joomla 2.5's override methods.
I always end up paying less for any add-ons I need to go with it than with other carts.
On top of all that, I get great support from the development team.
This is a total waste of time if you want to destroy your site use this component !
I used virtuemart with sucess some years ago but i do not know what happend to it because i got TONS of red lines when trying to install the latest package on 2.5
And the errors kept comming LOTS of them so i decided to trash it all before it completly destroyed my site.
Never again !
I used virtuemart with sucess some years ago but i do not know what happend to it because i got TONS of red lines when trying to install the latest package on 2.5
And the errors kept comming LOTS of them so i decided to trash it all before it completly destroyed my site.
Never again !
Owner's reply
Thank you for taking the time to share your comments, VM2 is quite different
from VM1 in the same way as Joomla 1.0, 1.5 and now 2.0.
I agree there are some small issues that, we as a community need to address,
however these take time and never appear when first installed. We have found
many people presume VM2 is much like VM1 when it is not, like a 1960's mini
and a mini made in 2012, they are different, If you do a fresh install into
a fresh Joomla installation everything works, then you need to dedicate a
little time configuring it, this required configuration is slightly
different than the previous version, so people presume it does not work.
A prime example would be the strict error message you get when you first
install, demanding you create a directory for your invoices and downloads,
this is annoying, but in place for the shop owners safety and many people
ignore this, but it is there to help people, it's an important job to carry
out, yet some people have complained about it. If you have any problems, the
community forum is full of help, please head over there and you will find
your answers or community members that are prepared to help you.
I had experience with VM1, helping some clients to get their shop right after installing it. It was a nice product, even if the code was totally confused and not organized. I was expecting a great improvement from VM2, but I was wrong. VM2 is missing some important features (for example one pace checkout and a true reseller shopper group) and the code is amateurish: you have to be prepared to fix something to make the shop right, while the quality of the code isn't what you should expect.
Owner's reply
On one hand you say vm1 was nice, on the other hand you say vm2 is missing the one page checkout. Vm1 never had a one page checkout. Why are in the last reviews so many lies?
What a frustrating waste of a morning.
Very clunky install and some time before I realised that cited Payment (eg. WorldPay) and Shipping methods are not included.
A visit to the forum (with unreadable captchas requiring repeated retries and enforced long password policy meaning that I couldn't use the same credentials as I use for every other forum on the web) proved fruitless.
Shopping cart is much like any other but very cumbersome.
Decided to stop wasting time and bought a commercial extension instead which is Ace and was running in a fraction of the time.
Admittedly, it is free, but commercial offerings are only around $60 which is well worth it for simplicity (and you have to buy all VirtueMart plug-ins otherwise included anyway).
If you want a free simple shopping cart, this is not the answer either - there are far easier components to work with.
Probably my worst Joomla! extension experience to date.
Very clunky install and some time before I realised that cited Payment (eg. WorldPay) and Shipping methods are not included.
A visit to the forum (with unreadable captchas requiring repeated retries and enforced long password policy meaning that I couldn't use the same credentials as I use for every other forum on the web) proved fruitless.
Shopping cart is much like any other but very cumbersome.
Decided to stop wasting time and bought a commercial extension instead which is Ace and was running in a fraction of the time.
Admittedly, it is free, but commercial offerings are only around $60 which is well worth it for simplicity (and you have to buy all VirtueMart plug-ins otherwise included anyway).
If you want a free simple shopping cart, this is not the answer either - there are far easier components to work with.
Probably my worst Joomla! extension experience to date.
Owner's reply
What should this mean "clunky install". It is a normal installation of a joomla extension. Also there are payments included, there is a standard shipment included. Yes it is only one shipment, but the one is more mighty then the 3 before.
And you dont have to buy any plugin.
I lost a client over trying to utilize this "solution". Really, if this is the best e-commerce solution for Joomla, I'm afraid the future of Joomla is dim. The whole back-end interface is clunky and adjusting the templates is a nightmare. The store MUST look good to encourage people to trust the site but it's like pulling teeth to get there. I'm sorry but in evaluating both the front-end and the back-end, I really cannot think of one good thing to say.
Owner's reply
"adjusting the templates is a nightmare"
Maybe for non joomla templaters.
Can't help feeling this version was rushed out. Modules that shipped as standard in version are missing from v2. The interface feels clunkier and I find the back end harder to use.
Owner's reply
The free extensions in vm1 grown over some years. A lot people like the new interface more and say it is faster, more intuitive to use, and cleaner. It is a matter of taste and habits.
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